The author joined the Intelligence Corps in 1970 but since retiring from the British Army has been responsible for other books including "Nine Battles to Stanley".

This book describes a period with which I'm unfamiliar, and occurring after the Malay problems, but prior to the problems in Vietnam.

It sets out in some detail both the immediate history of the problems in terms of the population and the politics of the time in setting up the loose federation of Malaysia.

The author follows the campaign through in rough chronology with very little overlap and he appears to have access to many documents and individuals who were involved including Peter de la Billiere, Paddy Ashdown and Julian Thompson. Many wished to remain anonymous, but he has collected them together into a narrative.

This is not a book recounting personal exploits, recollections and endeavours. It is much more akin to a collection of the diaries of the battalions involved in the conflict which provides an overview with details added. It is, however, scattered with some personal anecdotes which act as comedy relief.

The book is quite intense, but I'm guessing the author didn't have much access to the aggressors diaries, and for those people wishing information to set up skirmish or jungle battles they should find sufficient information in this volume to do so because he quotes actual service people involved, their numbers, weapons, uniform and support available.

This book should definitely be seen as "bigging up" the British Army, as there is a lot of drum thumping, but he does mention the lack of support and spares from Whitehall occasionally and the lack of journalistic scrutiny.

He does also recount all the battles where soldiers were mentioned in despatches or awarded medals. Only one VC awarded during the whole campaign, because the author believes that there was lots of interference from a resentful superior and rather topically the recipient was Lance Corporal Rambahadur Limbu, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.

A good read and I recommend it.

Michael Thompson